


How Do You Protect A Superhero?

by toesohnoes



Category: Captain America, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-16
Updated: 2011-10-16
Packaged: 2017-10-24 16:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/265552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toesohnoes/pseuds/toesohnoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steve is reckless, Tony loses his temper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Do You Protect A Superhero?

**Author's Note:**

> Written at my [Tumblr](http://toestastegood-fic.tumblr.com/post/11323521632/steve-has-never-seen-tony-like-this-before).

Steve has never seen Tony like this before, practically vibrating with rage. “That was stupid,” Tony snaps, “and reckless. You could’ve been killed.”

Steve struggles to catch his breath. The world is still spinning around him from the hits he took, and he’s going to have a lot of ugly bruises in the morning. All in a day’s work. They’re the Avengers. This is what they do.

So why is Tony shouting at him?

“I’m fine,” Steve says. He looks down at the shrapnel on the ground that is all that remains of the attacking robot horde. “What else was I supposed to do? They were attacking you.”

“I could’ve handled it.”

“You didn’t even have your suit.” Beneath the metal, Tony is just a man – just flesh and blood, nothing more than that. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch you get ripped to pieces.”

Tony rolls his eyes and makes a sound that is almost like a dog growling. Steve has never heard anything so frustrated and frustrating in his life. “You are such a kid,” Tony complains.

Steve frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m over ninety years old.”

“You were sleeping for seventy of those. Don’t brag.” Tony looks as if he’s tempted to start another fight all of his own, but he manages to exhale his anger in one long sigh. Maybe he’s learning from Pepper. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Steve shakes his head. “Just a little. What about you?”

He can see the painful graze along Tony’s cheekbone, but Tony barely seems to notice it. “Just don’t worry me like that again,” Tony says. “How am I supposed to look out for you if you go around head-butting robots?”

Tony isn’t supposed to ‘protect’ him. They work together to protect the world; that’s how this is supposed to work. Sometimes, Steve can’t help feeling that Tony would prefer it if he stayed at home and kept his head down: kept out of trouble rather than going out to fight it.

Tony manages to smile, even if it isn’t as bright and carefree as it usually would be. “Alright, get over here – stop looking like I’ve kicked your puppy.”

Steve walks into Tony’s open arms, because he’s never been able to resist him. He rests against him, closing his eyes, and soaks in his worried warmth.


End file.
